


Persephone's Hobby

by cockabeetle, Kymopoleia



Category: The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Ethan does not want, Persephone did a thing, Technically the Percethan is one-sided.
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-26
Updated: 2014-11-11
Packaged: 2018-02-22 15:34:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,507
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2512793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cockabeetle/pseuds/cockabeetle, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kymopoleia/pseuds/Kymopoleia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hera had to do something to keep her husband from finding the Jackson boy and Persephone owed a favor until she got bored.</p><p>(Formerly known as: the fic with the wORST SUMMARY EVER. cocka no longer hates me.) -Kym</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> more to come. much much much more to come. but the whole thing needed this tiny drabble posted first for the rest to make sense so

If anyone had told Persephone that Perseus Jackson would be astonishingly boring, she would have honestly laughed at them. Perseus Jackson, current favorite plaything of the gods, boring? No way. Laughable.

But here she is, glaring at his limp form. She has to go down to Hades the day after next, and has been watching the demigod son of Poseidon as a favor for Lady Hera. He is unconscious, and she has orders not to wake him. She is going to die of boredom.

Persephone has done literally everything she can possibly think of with the mortal.

And now, of course, she has literally nothing to do.

Persephone goes to her close friend, Aphrodite, with Perseus hidden in her mountain of black curls. A patch of hydrangeas and pomegranate flowers grow and wrap around his form, securing him there.

Aphrodite and Persephone spend several hours sunbathing on a Californian beach before Persephone remembers to talk about her predicament.

"A," Persephone starts. "If you were going to watch something for someone else, like a pet, and you got bored, what would you do with the pet?"

Aphrodite sighs into her glass of tequila. "Hmm. I would make them fall in love."

"But what if the pet is asleep, and you're not allowed to wake it?"

Aphrodite turns to Persephone. "First of all, girl, I don't know what kind of pet you're watching, but you could always employ one of Hypnos' boys to do a little," Aphrodite giggles. "Subliminal messaging."

Persephone giggles with her. "But I have a problem, I'm not really supposed to tell anyone about who the pet is."

Aphrodite's eyebrows go sky high. "Who? Oh you dog, you, are you taking up a little side pais?"

Persephone rolled her eyes. "No, I'm not interested in him. He is very firmly into a daughter of Athena, but my husband's son is interested in him. But, that's not the poin-"

Aphrodite drops her glass. "No. Fucking. Way. You have Percy Jackson up your sleeve? Athena's Annabeth is freaking out about his disappearance. Tell me everything."

"She asked me to watch him and I said yes but he's asleep and boring and I don't know what to do with him!" Persephone let it flood out. "I thought he was going to be fun but I didn't take the whole "he's unconscious" thing into account, and now I'm bored."

Aphrodite reached over and grabs Persephone's hand. "You have to listen to me, I have the perfect plan."

Persephone approaches her husband from behind, leaning down to press her lips to his neck before whispering "May I borrow something?~" in his ear.


	2. Chapter 2

Ethan Nakamura had blinked, and now he was standing in a school hallway in a dumb uniform, his clothes and his food and his surroundings all changed. He'd been having a very nice picnic with Achilles and Patroclus. They were very nice, and Ethan had been enjoying himself. And now he was here and he was not pleased. There was... why in Hades was he standing next to that Jackson kid again? Wasn't Jackson still alive?

Percy smiled at the new kid, Ethan Naka-something. He had been showing him around the school when, suddenly, Ethan stopped walking. "Ethan?" Percy asks. "You okay?"

Ethan glares. "Jackson. What the hell is this? Why am I here?" His frown is hard and if he had a sword he'd be pointing it at that dumb face.

"You're a transfer student?" Percy volunteers. "Nico's step-mom told me you had a memory problem, but I didn't realize it would be this bad." He reaches down to fiddle with his necklace.

Ethan blinks. "Nico?" He pauses, processing the rest of that statement. "Memory problem? What?"

"Yeah. Memory problem." Percy shrugs. "You hit your head really hard in that car accident, Luke still isn't back yet. You were supposed to start three weeks ago, but," Percy shrugs, as if saying 'what can you do?'.

"Car accident? Luke? What are you talking about?" Ethan is confused, and the idiotic drivel coming out of Jackson's mouth isn't helping.

"Three weeks ago, you were driving from the airport with Luke Castellan. A semi didn't get the memo about red lights, you and Luke got roughed up. Your head got hurt, Luke has nerve damage in his arm and is in therapy." Percy nods. "We're lucky no one died."

Ethan stared at Percy for a minute. "I'm 14. I don't even know how to drive. I died before I had any reason to learn, for that matter."

"Luke was driving, and you're fifteen. Wow, your memory is really bad." Percy whistles. "We have to get to class though."

"Why would Luke be driving. He died too, if I remember correctly. I saw him in Elysium."

"Luke isn't dead, dude. Come on, we're gonna be late for class." He grabs Ethan's hand.

"You are an idiot." Ethan lets himself be pulled, mostly because even with his training, Percy is still invincible and physically stronger than Ethan and there isn't much the shorter boy can do.

Percy pulls him along to the algebra class they share, unable to keep from smiling, despite his worry.

Ethan frowns, and he notices that most of their 'classmates' are little more than wisps of the mist, made to fill space and be ignored, if the suggestions he was getting to look away were any indication. So something was definitely up, but the weird shit Jackson had been spewing was still confusing. Who would come up with something that dumb?

Percy hoped Ethan would get used to the school, the other deserved to fit in. Percy didn't have friends in this class, but he hoped Ethan could prove a friend.

Ethan found himself taking notes on what the 'teacher' said, something about a slope, or something or other. Ethan wasn't paying attention, he was trying to find a way to break out of this place, possibly without the help of Jackson, who could stay here for eternity for all Ethan cared.

The class flew by, and Percy ended the class with a good- no, a great feeling. The teacher, Mr. Luh- he can't actually remember his name, but he knows that the teacher is good.

Ethan frowns, because he could have sworn 'class' started ten minutes ago, but everyone is getting up and moving on as if it had been the full class period.

Percy waits for Ethan patiently. "How did you like class?" He asks excitedly.

Ethan blinks. "Uh. It..." He was going to say 'it wasn't long enough' but, that would sound so wrong, especially considering how he hadn't even been paying attention. "It was fine."

Percy nods. "Mr. L is good at what he does."

Ethan nods slowly. Not that he knew what Mr. L even taught. Was it math?

Percy smiles and claps his hand over Ethan's shoulder. "We're in luck, free period next."

Ethan jumps, a little, at the sudden contact. "Oi! Sore o kizutsukeru!" He glared at Percy, accidentally speaking in Japanese.

Percy blinked. "I have no idea what you just said."

"Mā sore wa shōgeki-tekina tenkaidesu." He frowned, crossing his arms. He also stepped away from Percy, to get at least a bit of distance between them.

Percy smiled softly. "Do you want to go somewhere?"

Ethan frowns. "Why would I want to?"

"Because it's a free period and school is boring?"

Ethan opened his mouth to defend school, but reconsidered when he realized this would be a great way to figure out a way to get out of this weird alternate reality thing.

"So, do you want to get away with me or not?"

"...Fine."

Percy nodded, and led the way out of the room and down the hallway. "You're going to love the courtyard, it's just ruined enough to be interesting. And there's this great pomegranate tree, and a fountain, and it's always empty."

Ethan blinked, eyes widening. That sounded like Lady Persephone's garden. So maybe he was still in the underworld.

When they reach the garden, Percy doesn't think about the soft breeze going through it, or the weeping willow trees, or how the pomegranate tree is always in season, its thick fruit always perfectly ripe. He doesn't think about the blue checkered blanket laid out under one of the trees, or the stash of blue candy he keeps under one of the knocked-down birdbaths. He only goes into it, closes his eyes, and smiles. "Isn't it awesome?"

Ethan glances around. This was... Persephone's garden, with a few added details. "Uh... sure."

"It's great." Percy says, and goes to the blanket. "I don't know why more people aren't out here, but I guess they'd ruin it."

Ethan frowns. There were no other people, as far as he could tell. Just him, and Percy. He glances around. "It reminds me a little of my father's zen garden." He remarks, before pausing. He hadn't meant to speak aloud.

Percy doesn't say anything, just pats the blanket. "Do you know how long you'll be here?"

Ethan blinks. "Uh, no." He glances around again, and he could almost swear there were stones, similar ones to a typical zen garden, that hadn't been there before. He doesn't comment.

"Are you in your senior year?" Percy asks. "Are you thinking about college?"

"I'm 14, why the hell would I be thinking about college? Or be in my senior year. Are you stupid?"

"What grade are you in?"

Ethan blinks. "Uh, 9th?" He actually hadn't gone to school at all the past two years, being with Luke and the rest of Kronos's army. But, he was pretty sure if he'd gone to school normally, that would be the right year. Maybe.

Percy frowned. "Ninth?"

Ethan nods again. He's... he's just going to stick with whatever story he can come up with, here.

"I'm pretty sure you're in at least eleventh." Percy says. "There's only three grades here, and you don't look like a tenth grader."

Ethan blinked, and frowned. "That can't be right. And we've already gone over this- I'm fourteen, and should be dead, but you've insisted that I'm actually fifteen and apparently have memory problems, though honestly out of the two of us I believe you'd be the more likely candidate..."

Percy cocks his head. "Memory problems? Me? You can't be right."

"Well I said that you said I had memory problems. But if me talking at normal speed in plain English makes you confused, perhaps you should pay some credit to my theory."

"I don't have memory problems." Percy says.

"Then why don't you remember telling me I had them? Or me telling you my age, for that matter? Maybe all those hits to your head and such are finally catching up to you. Or they would be, if you didn't have the curse."

Percy stares at Ethan for a minute. "Sit down."


	3. Chapter 3

Ethan had nodded a little, and blinked, about to sit, when he found himself in new surroundings(again). He found himself in a secluded area of some diner, a candlelit dinner and Jackson himself waiting a few feet ahead. Ethan blinks a few times more.

"Ethan," Percy says, laughing and standing. "Thank you for coming." He offers Ethan a single white rose. "Please?"

Ethan blinks, and takes the white rose, sniffing it slightly. "...Ano, er, what?"

"Sit down? So glad you could make it to the date," Percy looks sheepish and happy.

"D-date?" Ethan hadn't known what words Jackson would use, but 'date' was not what he expected. Wasn't he dating that Athena girl? Chase?

"Yeah, Mrs. Di Angelo told me that she thought we were a cute couple and paid for us to go out on this," he waves around. "Nico's mom is too cool."

Ethan frowned. He still didn't know who Nico, and therefore his step-mother, was, but he should find out. The fact that his scenery changed, and Jackson's memory as well, again, proves that this is some weird limbo. He glances around, and looks down at the rose. "Is there a significance to the color of this rose? I am not all that familiar with American... customs, but I was under the impression Red roses were preferred?"

The rose changed color within a second after Ethan mentioned it, and Percy blinked. "It is a red rose."

Ethan blinked, and glanced down. "I could have sworn..." He shook his head. "Never mind. Have you ordered anything yet?

"I was waiting for you, do you like Italian?" Percy sat down, swirling a wine glass.

Ethan bit his lip, frowning. "I've never really had it." He admits softly, glancing around.

"It's good. Lots of pasta." Percy says. A waiter brings a breadstick bowl, and Percy eats one.

Ethan takes it, sniffing. It smells of garlic, and he wrinkles his nose a little.

Percy leans back. "So, Ethan, what's new?"

Ethan shrugs a little uncomfortably. "Nothing, really..." He glances up. "What about you?"

Percy leans forwards. "Well, turns out homecoming is coming up, and I was wondering if you'd want to go."

Ethan blinked, and glanced down, mumbling. "I've never been to any school functions before, I..." He frowned. "I'm not sure why you would ask, either. Considering."

"Because I like you and, well, it sounds fun." Percy said, gesturing with his breadstick.

Ethan frowned. "What about Chase, Annabeth? Your girlfriend?"

"Who?" Percy asked, eyebrows furrowed.

"Annabeth Chase? Head of the Athena cabin, wanted into Castellan's pants like every other woman and most men who've ever met him, you were dating her. She took a knife for you, though I still question why she did."

"Athena cabin?" Percy asked. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Ethan sighed, and tried to use an explanation that would make sense in this... weird 'world'. "She's the daughter of Miss Athena, blond hair, gray eyes, very smart. I know the two of you are, were, dating. What about her?"

"I'm not dating anyone." Percy says. "I don't know anyone by that description, and I don't know a Miss Athena. The only Miss anything is Mrs. Di Angelo."

Ethan's eyes narrow, and he frowns. But he also has a feeling saying no will not end well, because there is clearly some sort of influence, Godly or not, over this... hallucination, and defying the gods again probably won't end in Elysium a second time. "...Fine."

Percy smiles and bounces his seat. "I'm so excited, the dance will be great! Mrs. Di Angelo wants us to have the best time." A waitress approaches with a large plate of spaghetti, and sets it between them.

Ethan blinks, and looks over the mass of noodles and sauce. He's never had spaghetti, it wasn't something he ever really wanted. And it wasn't looking very palatable now, either.

Percy laughs, covering his mouth with his hand. "She said she had it covered, but I didn't think she'd go all Lady & the Tramp on us." Percy says, pointing at the plate.

"Lady and the Tramp?" Ethan felt like he should know what that was, but he had no idea.

**Author's Note:**

> headcanon persephone used: http://mango-chess.tumblr.com/post/101598133649/bbyph4t-what-an-angel


End file.
